salmon, if you can, get a copy of "Great Sausage Making, Curing & Smoking Meats" by Rytek Kutas. It was a great section on brining. Most brines for ham and bacon call for the use of Sodium Nitrite and/or Sodium Nitrate) For example Prague powder #1 contains 1 part Sodium Nitrite to 16 parts salt. Prague powder #2 and Morton's Tender Quick contains Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate. Morton's Tender Quick also contains sugar and other flavorings. The use of S. Nitrite and/or S. Nitrate is a must for Cold Smoking and Dry Curing of meats.
Because we made such large quantities of brine (50-100 gallons at a time) and since we were a commercial smoker, we bought each ingredient in bulk and mixed our own by weight. Water, equal amounts salt and brown or white sugar, some Liquid Smoke, the Sodium Nitrate and Nitrite and a secret ingredient that out Curemaster added after he chased us out of the Curing room. :roll:
As for a brine for Ham and Bacon- well, when we ran the smokehouses, we used the same brine formula for both.
I hope this gives you a start in the quest of your perfect brine solution!
